M.U., I.O.O.F.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LII, Issue 52, 1 March 1918, Page 6

M.U., 1.0.0. F.

NELSON DISTRICT. ANNUAL CONFERENiCE. The annual conference of the Nelson IHstrict, M.U., Independent Order of Oddfellows, was held at Nelson yesterday, -when there were present;—Prov. Grand: 'Master, Bro. G. Robertson; Deputy Prov. G.M., Bro. A. Cross; Prov. Treasurer (acting), Bro. C. R. Cooke; Prov., Corresponding Secretary, Bro. A. G- Shrimpton; and the following lodge deputies: •Nelson: Bros. W. H. Robertson, P.P.G.M.; F. I. Armstrong, F. Graham, A.' J. Pellew and A. G. Stewart, P.G.'s. Travellers' Rest: Bros. W. D. Harkness and F. W. O. Smith, P.P.G.M.'s. Howard: Bros. J. E. Clear, W. Thompson and W. Liddle, P.P.G.M.'s; C. Graham, P.G. .Mansion of Peace: Bros. J. W. Hagen, Ivo Tunnicliffe, P.P.G.M.'s j E. J". "Painton and John Wells, P.G.'s. General Cameron :. Bro3. R. S. Hayrack, P.P.G.M.; H. L. Fotster, P.G. Mataki: Bro. J. A. Day, P.P.G.M. Palmyra: Bro. C. R. Cooke, P.G. . •GRAND MASTER'S ADDRESS.

The Grand Master, in his opening address, expressed his thanks for the kindsupport that had been given him, and said he was sure thev ■would sympathise 'with him in not 'being able to "boast" of a numerical increase in the membership of the District, but viewing the terrible struggle the Empire was engaged i&, and the great wastage in iuirian, life that was taking place, the Manchester Ujiity, as a national society, "was affected, and would 'be for. *me time. The call for military service of a. great number of their 'brethren had cobbed the lodges of many active -workers and- had created serious - difficulties. •He thanked them in the name of the District for"the services they were rendering / their King and Country under such . aumious conditions. During the year the District had suffered the loss by.death of ten members on activ e service, and in the first week of the present year the Prov. C.S. had received of the death of an additional two. The following were the names of those -who had made the supreme sacrificed—Nelson. Lodge, S. E. King, G. SSanbridge; Mansion of Peace Lodge, W.'R. Watson, H. M. Kilminster, P. T3. Ricketts, J. I. Gi-bbs; Mataki Lodee A.' L. Garbett, A. H. Garbett, C. D. James; General Cameron Lodge, A. H. Andrews, L. H. Windlebom, H. F. Andrews. In- his opinion, a tablet should ■fee -placed in a central position -whereon be recorded the names of the members who had lost their lives during th-. campaign. In addition to the loss •of those on active service, death, had taken from them several members, some ■of whom had taken a keen- interest in their woTk,. and he especially- mentioned PIP.G.M. Bro. T. Bell. To P.P.G.M. Bro. H. V. Gully. District Trustee, he extended the heartfelt sympathy of the XHstrict on the death of his son at the iront. It had been his pleasure during the-past year, accompanied by his colleagues, to visit most of the lodges, and on several occasions a splendid muster of town brethren had joined the party. The report of the Committee of Management dealt with the most important subjects that had been reviewed- during thia year and to be considered that da} r ; fee would therefore not weary them with .nnaecessary reiteration, feeling assured that they would give the various subjects their best attention, and that their deliberations would be in the hest interests of ;the Disrict and Order. In. conclusion, he said it had been a great pleasure to hold the important office of Prov. Grand Master and sincerely thanked the Deputy G.M., Prov. C.S., and the Committee of Management ( for their loyal support during his term bf office. •"lb -was resolved that th e conference adjourn for five -minutes in honour of the memory of those 'brethren who haoT fallen in. the war and the late P.P.G.M. Bro; T. Bell, after which the war ritual 'was read and the hymn sung. On resuming, it -was resolved that a tablet he erected- in honour of "members of the order who have fallen in the •war. It was resolved- that the Grand Master be thanked) for his address, and that the same* be printed 1 with the minutes of 7 proceedings.

'MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE'S REPORT. Th 6 Prov. C.S. read the Management Committee's report, of which the following is an abridgment: "In presenting the annual report your committee have pleasure in noEing that Tiffs year is the 72nd anniversary of the establishment of the Nelson District t(and the 76th anniversary of the opening of the Loyal Nelson Lodge) and during that period we have made steady and substantial progress, which speaks -volumes for the foundation so well and truly laid by the pioneers, very few of .whom are left with us to-day. At onr last conference we all hoped that by our next gathering the great war -which is devastating the whole of Europe and seriously affecting .the whole world would hav e shown signs of an early termination, but, alas! that has not eventuated, and' we regret that a satisfactory peace i s not yet in sight. We can only express th e hope that next tim e w e meet a lasting and righteous peace will have been accomplished, "Members on Active Service.--rSince the outbreak of hostilities 181 members of .this District have joined the Expeditionary Forces. Eighteen have been killed in action or died' on service. Thirty-three have been- discharged, leaving 130 on service at the 31st of December, 1917. Once again w e extend our heartfelt svmpathv to the bereaved relatives of the fallen, and to those who have loved ones sick and- wounded, ana we sincerely trust that those brothers who haveVreturned incapacitated will be speedily restored to health and strength. ''''_., "Financial and Statistical. —The capital value of the District, as at the 31st of. December, 1917, is £44,604, representing an average per member of £53 13s. Taking the whole of the friendly societies of the Dominion-, the average capital per member as at the 31st of Pecember, 1916, was £27; thus, the District enjoys an excess of £26 member. Another important point that nrust not <be lost sight of is, that the Tyhole of the funeral risk of the District is covered by the 'Central Funeral •Fund of the New Zealand Branch, and as the contribution to this fund is now based? upon a percentage of the annualcontribution income to the Sick and Funeral Funds-of th e lodges, the capital of the '■■ District carries no financial liability in that respect, only the sick ■ benefit?,of,+lie member? and widow and orphans' allowances. During the year the " ei« k benefits amounted 1 to £1753, •being an increase of £sl on the previous YeaT- Of this sum £lßl was paid to soldier members on active service. The widow and.ornhans' allowances decreased ; from £289 to £277. The capital of t.lre fund i* now £7857.. an increase of "for thp vear. The proposal' to ■weight this "fund with a proportion of rr-»hap'P r » i ent expense*, and to increase tie" orphans' age limit, did not receive

the sanction of the Registrar, the former being contrary to general rule, the latter inadvisable at the present juncture in- view of a possible increase inwar liability. "Your committee regret to not e that the membership decreased by 19 during the vear, which is characteristic of all societies, due to th e diversion of young lives to active service, and the restricted initiation policy operating. W s lost by death 18 members and four members' wives, the funeral allowances i amounting to £414. Of this sum £204 i was .paid on account of soldier mem('bers killed in action. "Social Insurance. —Since the District . was registered as an 'approved society' • under the Finance Act, 1916, th e ma- , ternity provisions have been largely ! availed of, some 23 claims having "been > paid For this allowance. So far only . three members have taken advantage of the annuity provisions. "District Special Rules. —The Special' 'Committee appointed at last conference to prepare special district rules completed their labour, which were subomitted and adopted by a special DisI trict conference, held on the 6th October, and hav e since been registered 'by the Friendly Societies Department. 'Copies of the same are before you to- ■ day. i "Soldier Members' Sick Pay. —The ' amendments to the general rules of the society, adopted by the 1916 8.M.C., entitling soldier members to sick pay whilst on active service, have caused a ' deal of anxiety to members of our so- , ciety, the magnitude of the military ■ operations having far exceeded what 1 was probably anticipated at the time I thes e amendments were made. Recog- • nising the seriousness of this liability, ; and naving been warned by the Regis- ; trar of Friendly Societies ol the gravity i of the position and. the undesirabililA ; of continuing th e policy to which the \ society bad committed its lodges, the ; Board of Directors, viewing the increas- ? ing liability, deemed it necessary that j the several districts- should have an op- -. portunity to reconsider the position, and in this direction- called a special B.M.C | to consider the following proposition : J "That the sick pay payaole to soldier I .members whilst on active service be j suspended until the 8.M.C., to r De held j in Wellington at Easter, 1918, has re- ! considered 1 the whole question of soldier j sick pay.' The special District confer- | ence to discuss the above proposition was held on th 6 27th October, and the | District resolved to support the proposal, and advised the deputies to tiie ' special B.M.C. to vote accordingly, tnough the members were of the opinion . that the word 'suspended' should be deleted l and the word 'cancelled' in- j serted. The proposition was carried' at , th e B.M.C, and has since been duly ! registered. I "Consolidation of Sick and Funeral Funds of Lodges.—The most important question set down for your consideration to-day, is the proposed' consolidu- \ tion- or th e Sick and- Funeral Funds of the lodges in the Nelson District, which matter was referred by last conference to your 'Management Committee for fa- j vourable consideration, with instructions to submit a scheme. After full . consideration your committee has prepaid •! a scheme, printed copies of which aie now before you. The Prov. C.S. has been to a great deal of trouble in- preparing data, which, together with correspondence from the Registrar and' leading members of the order in other , districts, will : be available to assist you in your deliberation. Whilst it is not j the intention of your committee to go into the pros, and cons, of the scheme, they have every confidence in recom- j ' mending its- adoption, with any necessary amendments, as "being in the best interests of the lodges and the District. "Personal. —It is a matter of deep regret that illness has necessitated' the resignation of P.P.G.M. Bro. A. Amos as a District trustee, a position he has worthily filled' for many years. Your committee wish to take this opportunity of recognising the valuable services rendered the District by P.P.G.M. Bro. J. F. Papps, who has relinquished- the •permanent secretaryship of the Loyal Travellers' Rest Lodge after a continuous 29 years' service. Bto. Papps- also filled the office for four years prior to his permanent appointment. Your coiri'mittee also retrret the continued lHhealth of the Prov. Treasurer (Bro. J. P. 'Cooke), whose duties are a-bl> filled fov his son, Bro. C. R. Cooke. "In conclusion, your committee wish to express their appreciation of the • satisfactory manner in which the Prov. ' C.S.~<(Bro. A. G. Shrimpton) has carried out his numerous duties, which, . owing to the war and other contingencies, have increased considerably." It wa g -resolved that the congratulations of the conference be extended to the Nelson Lodge on attaining the 76th anniversary of its foundation. The C.S. referred' to the percentage levy on which contributions to the Central Funeral Fund are based as being inequitable to the districts which have adequate Tates of contributions to Sick and Funeral Funds, and it was resolved that the matter be referred to the incoming Management Committee. It was resolved that the proposal to weight the Widow and' Orphans' Fund with, a proportion of management expenses be further considered at a Viter Bro. W. Thompson referred to the vantageous terms offered members of friendly societies mnder the annuity provisions of the Finance Act, and thought they should be placed more prominently before members of the Order. Bro. Thompson was thanked for the information he had- given, and it was resolved that it be a recommendation from the conference to lodges to give effect to Bro. Thompson's suggestion. It was Tesolved! that letters of appreciation of their services b e sent to e .P.G.M. Bro. A. Amos and P.P.G.M. Bro J. F. Papps; also regretting the continued illness of P.P.G.M. Bro. J- , P. Cooke. , _ x . , It was resolved that a hearty vote ot thanks be accorded the C.S. for the way he had carried out his dutites The Management Committee's report i was then adopted. , BALANCE-SHEET AND AUDITORS' REPORT. The balance-sheet and auditors' report weTe submitted' and adopted. The ' statement showed amounts standing to th e credit of the District funds as fo2i lows:—Widow and Orphans, £7857 14s I lid; Investment, £6262 6s 8d; Man- . agement, £62 lis Bd': stock, £34 15s. [. Investments on mortgage amounted to £11.095; in municipal- debentures, £2300; in war debentures, £500; Post I Office Savings Rank. £206 6s 7d: on . current account. £74 15s; the total value [ of the District funds amounting to £14.- . 210 16s 7d. Th e total amount invested bv the District and lodges in war loans ! was £2478. ' CORRESPONDENCE. ': P.P.G.M. Bro. H. V. Gully wrote p tendering his resignation as a District ( trustee owing to his departure from f Nelson. Several members referred to

the long, excellent and valuable services rendered by Bro. Gully, and it was resolved- that his resignation be accepted with regret. It was further resolved that Bro. Gully be written to, expressing appreciation of his services, and wishing him prosperity in his new home. CONSOLIDATION OF LODGE SICK AND FUNERAL FUNDS. The proposals in regard to the consolidation of the Sick and Funeral Funds of Lodges in tne Nelson District as drafted by the Management Committee were then considered, together with the necessary regulations for working same. Clause (1) of the scheme provides that "For the purpose of consolidating the Sick and Funeral Funds of the whole of the Lodges of tne Nelson District, a District Consolidated Sick and Funeral i.und shall be established, as from the Ist January, 1916." The Prov. C. S. (Bro. A. G. Shrimpton), -in- outlining the proposals, read a larg e amount of correspondence from Societv and Departmental officials, the trend of which was, on the whole, favourable to the proposed course, and- he concluded his remarks by reading a telegram- from the C.S. of the Auckland I District, stating that consolidation in j his district had been a success, and he wished th© same for the Nelson District. Bro. Thompson moved th e adoption of the scheme, and paid' a tribute to the C.S. for the way in which he had placed the matter before the conference. He was quit e satisfied the consolidation would benefit the whole of the members and l would result in the stronger lodges helping the weaker. Bro. Smith seconded the motion, and characterised the scheme as an- excellent one. It would' spread the liabilitv over a greater number, and each member would receive full consideration of his claims. Bro. Day said he had not heard any argument .to convince him that consolidation was a step in- the right direction, and he contended that it would tend to eliminate interest in the individual Lodges. Bros. Clear, F. Graham, Liddle, Tunnicliffe, Forster, C. R. Cooke, W. H. Robertson, Pellew, Harkness, C. Graham, and Stewart spoke in support of the proposal. The motion was carried, Bro. Day alone dissenting. It was then resolved that all surpluses disclosed at the valuation as at I December 31st, 1915, and. until the next i quinquennial be impounded" and paid in--1 to a surplus fund, each Lodge's share I being earmarked as appertaining to that ! particular Lodge. j It was- also resolved that it be a rej commendation to tne Management Comi mittee, -when dealing with released sur- ' pluses, to'lncorporate a proposal to level up the lowest rate of sick pay. I 8.M.C., 1918. I Consideration was then given to the business pape/ of the Biennial Movable Conference to be held in Wellington at Easter. j The remits were dealt with senatum, | and in. most- instances the delegateswere left a free hand. On the question of soldier members sick pay, it was resolved' to support a remit from-Auckland as follows: "Membo-- on active service shall not be eni tit lei to sick pay for wounds received ' or sickness incurred, while on active ser- : vice. Such members shall, however, be 1 entitled to sick pay as from the date I of their discharge from- the naval and I military forces of th e Empire."

•ELECTION OF OFFICERS. The election of officers, etc., resulted at follows. — Prov. Grand Master. D.P.G.M. Bro. A. Cross. | Deputy Prov. G.M. : Bro. A. G. Stew- j art. ' „ . ~' I Delegates to B.M.C. : Bros. A. GShrimpton and W. Liddle. District Trustees : Bros. W. Thompson and W. H. Robertson-. Management Committee: Bros. Thompson, Robertson. Liddle, Harkness and Hagen. ~ . -. Arbitration Committee : Bros. Batchelor, Prebble, Liddle, Day, Haycock, Thompson- and Robertson. Lodge Book Examiners: Bros Shrimp - .ton and Thompson. Auditors: Bros. Smith and Harkness. The newly-elected' District officers were .installed by P.P.G.M. Bro. F. W. Smith, and returned their thanks for the honour conferred' upon them. Votes of thanks were passed to the Installing Master, Bro. Smith", and the retiring Grand Master, Bro. G Robertson and it was resolved that the latter be presented with a P.P.G.M. collar and that his mm e he placed on- the merit board. . , . „ \ ro=olution was carried expressing appreciation, of. -the good services renderel ; bv P.G. Bro. C. Graham, who is leaving the district, and he was congratulated on his r romotlon - , .„ Appreciation references were made to th e work °f P-P-G-M. Bro. W. H. Prebble in connection with the juvenile lodge, and he was accorded a hearty vote of thanks. , The retiring Grand Master returned! thanks for the kind consideration shown him, and the conference duly The next annual conference will be held at Brightwater.